Efforts are being made to collect at least 4,000 names on a petition to have public transit operating between Powell River and the Lower Mainland.
Powell River is currently without bus service to Vancouver. Sunshine Coast Connector, on its website, indicates it will resume service in May, transporting riders from Powell River to Sechelt, where they can board local transit to Langdale. Advance scheduling will also be required. If there are no bookings for any scheduled day, the shuttle will not be running, according to the website.
In order to encourage public transit to take over the route, Powell River residents Rae Fitzgerald and Diane Wolyniec started the petition. Wolyniec said they want a BC Transit bus to run daily between Powell River and Vancouver and back again.
Almost two years ago, the pair collected 2,000 signatures on a petition for busing. Wolyniec said this time out, they are trying to best that, with 4,000 signatures.
“It just shows the enthusiasm for the service,” said Wolyniec. “The only way to Vancouver now is flying or driving. We need an affordable way to get to Vancouver. It’s for medical purposes, it’s for families, for kids who go to university and want to come home to visit – there’s all kinds of stories and reasons we’ve heard.”
Wolyniec said when names have been collected, the petition will go to Powell River-Sunshine Coast MLA Nicholas Simons, qathet Regional District, and other recipients. Wolyniec said the federal government is giving another $2.1 billion over 10 years for transportation, so hopefully, some of the funds can be directed this way.
Wolyniec said she used transit for years and she loved it.
“I know the value,” she said. “It’s a community service. It has to be there.”
The petitions are being collected at the Canadian Tire store on weekends between 11 am and 5 pm. Wolyniec said people are willing to sign the petition. She said collecting names is a little more difficult because of COVID-19 but the collection is going well.
